July 12, 2011

Recipe for curried cashew soup

From Vegetarian Soups for All Seasons, you chose two soups to try, and this vegan curried cashew soup with lots of green vegetables intrigued me, so I cast the deciding vote to make this soup first. The only other soup I've made with a nut base, white gazpacho, relies on ground almonds, and it's a soup with heft. I thought this soup would be thick, too, but it's more broth-like, which makes it perfect for summer. I used garam masala, for a more richly nuanced flavor (though the color, admittedly, isn't particularly lovely). If you don't have it in your pantry, use curry powder, and you'll be rewarded with a beautiful golden soup.

Directions

In a Dutch oven or heavy stock pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions, garlic and celery until lightly browned. Remove pan from the heat.

In a food processor, chop the cashews until finely ground. Add the onion mixture from the pot, plus the ginger and 1 cup of water. Process until smooth. Return the mixture to the pot, along with the rest of the water, garam masala or curry powder, and lemon and orange juices. Bring to a simmer and cook on lowest heat for 30 minutes. Remove the pot from heat, and let it sit, covered, for 1 hour.

Bring the pot back to heat. In the meantime, place the vegetables in a microwave-safe bowl with 1 tsp of water. Cover with plastic wrap, and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir the steamed vegetables into the soup. Add more water if needed to achieve the consistency you like. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve hot or at room temperature, garnished with scallions and chopped cashews.